"Why would I be afraid of something that's a little bit tragic?"
After hearing the address from Zane, Gion left without a second thought.
On this trip to the New World, countless people would die by her sword, so she wouldn't care about the carnage.
However, on the way, Gion still made preparations in her mind.
In her opinion, it was probably Ross's perverse sense of humor, and he was enjoying bullying people.
Although she didn't have much contact with Ross, she could roughly sense that Ross wasn't the kind of person who would bully the innocent and weak.
They were often bullied by Ross, and they all had some problems.
On the way, Gion also heard a lot of discussions among the common people.
"Life is really good now, much better than when Humphrey was king."
"Of course, we have to thank Governor Saint Ross. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have such a good life."
"You're using the same title twice. 'Saint' is a noble title. You should address him as His Highness Ross, or Saint Ross, or Governor Ross."
"You think you know everything? He's the one who spared us from the Heavenly Tribute and allowed us to hold our heads high. I'd even like to call him His Majesty the Governor of Ross."
"Haha, you guys only pay lip service to your admiration for Lord Ross. I even have a portrait of Lord Ross hanging in my house."
"No, why do you have a portrait? Drawing a portrait of a Celestial Dragon is a serious crime."
"Didn't you hear Lady Zane's press conference? The Governor's Mansion has shops that sell portraits, sculptures, and other works of art depicting Lord Ross."
"Damn, why didn't you say so earlier? I'd go buy it right now..."
"..."
With Gion's strength, if she listened deliberately, even just walking on the street, she could catch sounds from a great distance.
Using "Ross" as a keyword brought Gion a lot of interesting news.
This was the first time that ordinary people had truly worshipped and revered the Celestial Dragons as gods, rather than fearing and dreading them.
Gion felt that Ross had set a precedent.
Furthermore, Gion heard that Ross had actually exempted all residents of the Jaygarcia District from paying their Heavenly Tribute.
This alone was the first case in 800 years.
Even her sense of justice was probably nothing more than this.
She didn't make the wrong choice with someone like that.
Gion mentally prepared herself again. She could tell that most of the common people genuinely admired Ross and were not putting on an act. She could still tell the difference.
As she approached, Gion took a deep breath.
She now felt that even if Ross performed a live sacrifice at the family's ancestral shrine, she could forgive him.
If Ross did that, he must have had his reasons.
"No entry!"
As Gion approached the cave entrance, the captain guarding the door blocked her way.
"I am Gion, the wife of Saint Ross."
Gion reported her identity, an identity bestowed upon her by Ross, which had now been reported to the Holy Land, thus becoming Ross's official identity in the outside world.
"Lord Gion, please come in!"
Upon hearing Gion's identity, the captain immediately knelt on one knee and moved to the side with a look of awe.
He had received a message from Zane before Gion arrived.
However, his reverence was not for Gion, but for Ross in the cave.
Their team had to send a dozen or so people into the cave one by one each day. After one group was sent in, they would go in and drag the bodies out.
This job alone was driving him to the brink of mental breakdown.
"Get up."
Gion nodded to him and then walked into the cave on her own.
From the other person's expression, she seemed to understand something.
However, they'd have to see for themselves to know the specifics.
At Gion's pace, she arrived at the sacrificial site in no time.
When she saw the scene before her, she was suddenly stunned.
"Huh? That's it?"
Ross was sitting on the steps of the altar, and Stella was massaging his shoulders to relax him.
Next to him, a person was enveloped in a water sphere, with silver hair and silver eyes, and it looked like he was releasing his Devil Fruit power.
She was prepared for Ross to be the executioner, but instead she saw Ross watching the ability user unleash his powers.
Though she'd never seen the ability to wrap oneself in water, and she hadn't encountered many Devil Fruit users, she wasn't really surprised.
"Saint Ross!"
Gion called out, and when Ross's gaze fell upon her, a radiant and captivating smile bloomed on her face.
These days, as she searched for the fruit in the New World, Ross was the image that came to her mind the most.
Although the initial acquaintance was not very pleasant, Gion was extremely satisfied with their subsequent interactions.
Even before she reaped the rewards, Gion had already decided to follow Ross to the bitter end.
"Gion, you're back!"
Ross smiled, stood up, and opened his arms.
Gion strode over and threw herself into Ross's arms without hesitation.
The two embraced tightly, smelling Gion's familiar scent and feeling her familiar touch, which made Ross feel a little hungry.
In order to gain power, he had been living the life of an ascetic lately, only occasionally playing with Stella.
Deep down, he still had a soft spot for Gion.
It wasn't just her 1.8-meter-long legs and top-notch figure, but also the comfortable feeling of being with Gion.
Stella and Rouge were good, but they were too weak in front of him, and their physical condition was also average, so they couldn't let Ross have his fill.
But Gion was completely different; she was a woman who dared to be a knight.
After a long and tender time, Ross finally released Gion.
"Let's see what you're capable of."
Upon hearing this, Gion smiled faintly.
Immediately, her entire body began to change.
Her eyes gradually turned a deep purple, and her skin became unusually pale, like the purest porcelain under the moonlight, exuding an indescribable aura of coldness.
At the same time, her pointed ears quietly perked up, her originally neat teeth became sharp and slender, and her lips became bright red and luscious, like a newly blooming rose, with a hint of unintentional allure, enticing people to explore further.
Behind her, a pair of wings as black as night slowly unfurled. With each gentle flap, her figure seemed to grow even lighter, every movement exuding an otherworldly elegance, like a ghost dancing in the night sky, both ethereal and captivating.
"The Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire has greatly enhanced my abilities, including..."
[Gion]
[Overall Rating: A-]
Since our last meeting, Gion's strength had undergone a dramatic transformation.
Before Gion left, her strength was only C+.
Ross had heard that Gion had made a breakthrough in battle, meaning that before consuming the Devil Fruit, Gion was roughly at the B- level.
After consuming the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire, Gion's strength increased by a whole level, placing her on par with Zane and Saul.
However, even among those of the same level, there were differences in strength. Paper strength did not represent true combat power, and many factors could influence the outcome of a battle.
Even if they were of the same level, Gion would be no match for Zane, but she still had a chance to win against Saul, as the Bat-Bat Fruit, Model: Vampire was particularly effective against clumsy enemies like Saul.
The main improvement for mythical beasts lay in their physique and special abilities.
According to Gion, her speed had nearly doubled, and she also had the ability to absorb blood to replenish her strength and life force.
With the ability to suck blood, as long as she could break through the defenses and obtain blood, she could theoretically wear down all her opponents.
Gion had no shortage of basic skills; her only shortcomings were her physical condition and lack of special abilities.
While Gion possessed monstrous physical talent, she still fell short of the likes of Sakazuki, Zephyr, and Garp, let alone Big Mom and Kaido.
Consuming a Mythical Zoan fruit, combined with Gion's own talent, was enough for her to close the talent gap with top-tier powerhouses.
...
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